Lounging at the mini pool on the roof terrace at the Vincci Bit in Barcelona, or quickly slapping on a pair of heels and sunnies, getting the elevator up, taking the pictures and running so my best friend could catch her bus. Nobody has to know which these are. But these are the latter.

The weather wasn’t even that great to enjoy the roof terrace, which was sad, but if that’s all the pool they had in mind, meh. How about the beach five minutes down the street instead? Mm the beach.

I rarely wear sunglasses, but I’m obsessed with these Twiggy frames from SpecsPost. I think I tried cat’s eye glasses once when I bought my first pair, but the shops in town mostly carried stuff that was way too big on me so I looked terrible. These aren’t petite, but they’re on the smaller size, and when I put them on I felt that feeling I rarely get anymore where something just fucking fits. They didn’t just look right; they looked good and made me look good.

I am a cat’s eye convert. Unfortunately sunglasses aren’t really my thing — I look at these photos and I’m torn between “damn I’m hot” and “damn I look like an asshole who is also hot” — so I’m hoping I can get a pair of these same frames with standard lenses sometime, because I truly love how they look on me.

The shorts are from ASOS and the shirt I bought on a last-minute Sunday run at Maremagnum right there in Barcelona because I packed like shit and had nothing to wear on Monday unless I bought it. Maremagnum is a big mall and the only thing I could find that was open on a Sunday (it is Spain, after all), and it is situated on a pier of sorts, so basically I got to see the port and a whole lot of sea at night, which was impossible to capture well on my camera, but which I enjoyed immensely.

I like to pretend my outfits are worthy of jazz standard lyrics. Let me have this one.

I also like to think if I saw this post on my feed, I wouldn’t bother to read anything written alongside it and would instead just look at the photos. I’m proud of them; there’s room for improvement, but I had a great deal of fun shooting with my best friend, and I think I look quite lovely considering… various things I shall not draw attention to. This is a cheap dress, and it has pockets (!), and the only makeup I’m wearing is drugstore lipstick. I carried my heels in a bag and they barely show up in any pictures.

In short(er): red is a lovely color, and Barcelona is an interesting place.

It didn’t rain when I was in London in September until the very last minute — it literally started as Annemari and I waited for the bus to Liverpool Street Station for the train to the airport. Meanwhile, two hours in Barcelona and we got a serious fucking storm falling on us.

Judging by the photos, you wouldn’t be able to tell how much it affected my head — I still got loads of them. The next day was much better for me. This one, however, has the sea going for it.

I didn’t grow up by the sea; I don’t have that kind of connection that so many pretentious assholes people claim to have to the ocean. I’ve never felt I couldn’t live far from the ocean because, hell, I’ve been doing exactly that for twenty-six years. Honestly, it’s just a lot of water, and humidity, and I can’t even swim.

And yet. As Annemari and I walked to the ocean, my mood went from ‘mildly stable’ to ‘giddy like a five-year-old;’ my energy grew and I started smiling and by the time we were overlooking the sea from a little ways away, I was ready to dance.

I’m not going to lie — when I say ‘capsule’ in the post title, I don’t really mean ‘clothes you can mix and match for maximum functionality’ this time (see previous capsules here and here). I’m thinking more about a receptacle in which you can live, like a cave where a bear hibernates, and the things you might want to have in it before holing up and not coming out until the sun does, like a bear when it hibernates.

These days I leave the house like, once or twice a week, usually the day after the wine runs out. I try to run all my errands at the same time, too; my town is pretty small so I might as well disrupt my routines as little as possible. I’m happy to tell you I’m no longer so unstable that going to the supermarket messes up my entire day, but I’m still lazy, and let’s be real, even if you go out every day, the best thing about winter is curling up on your bed or an armchair with a hot beverage, a book and your choice of cat furry pet, wrapped up in something warm and comfortable. Mmm, cozying up.

And just in case you forgot that a) I mentioned a book and b) I read, I come bearing book recs, too! Because I’ve looked forward to and tweeted about two fall releases far too much not to mention them here as well.

This fall, two of my favorite non-fiction writers released new material. First, it was the incomparable (shut up) Jenny Lawson, the Bloggess, who followed up Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, a book so hysterical I translated entire passages to my sister on the fly, with Furiously Happy. Furiously Happy is just as hilarious, but delves even deeper into Jenny’s experiences with depression and other disorders, including acute social anxiety, with passages as heartbreaking as they are, for me and many other people, massively relatable. Her flying fears are my flying fears! There are also (live) cats and (taxidermied) raccoons, and if you don’t think taxidermied animals can be fucking funny, you’re about to be converted.

The other new book I just started reading last night is Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell, who you may recognize from This American Life (a podcast I’ve only heard a tidbit of, though I mainlined its spin-off Serial) or appearances on The Daily Show (where I have in fact seen her; she was one of Jon Stewart’s last guests). I know very little about the period of American History in her book — or any other periods — though it’s getting a big fandom push lately with the Hamilton musical, which I swear I will listen to in time (Renee Elise Goldberry! My love, my light) — but I’ve inhaled about four of Vowell’s books, starting with probably my favorite, Assassination Vacation, and her writing style is just so goddamn engaging I know I will care. She probably shoulders 80% of the responsibility for my morbid interest in the Civil War era, so you know she’s got chops. Also, like, she’s Sarah Vowell. So give it a go if you don’t know her.

That should keep you cozy and entertained for a while! Now back to your cat.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. In fact most links are affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission if you purchase! And I mean small. But a commission all the same. Esprit unfortunately does not have an affiliate program that I’m aware of, but boy, am I in love with their collection… surprising absolutely no one.

If you’ve been around for any of my moves on Twitter, you’ll know every time I complained about packing up until the fifth or last pack, at which point I finally thought to lay everything out on a bed and go SCIENCE.

I mean, it’s not science. Probably. But by the time you’re thinking about weight distribution, standing over your laid-out clothes and saying, loudly, “Step back! I’m going to try SCIENCE!” feels like the only way to hold on to your sanity for long enough to get you on your way.

Today, I’m sharing some tips on packing light for your summer holidays, and a few of my travel essentials! Just a heads up that by summer holidays I mean “holidaying somewhere it’s summer, and relatively warm,” so if you’re heading to Antarctica, even if it’s July, this may not help as much.

I’m nowhere near as lazy about walking when I can do it with my camera, slowly, especially with a friend. So the first week I spent in London last year involved some long-ass walks. I’m not sure which was the longest; our first day there, Annemari and I took a while to find — after, let’s be real, probably getting lost — the building Ashley was living in at the time, and I basically got a full view of Marylebone right there… and a fair share of Fitzrovia. The last Sunday, we covered a ridiculous amount of ground, between Regent’s Park and Baker Street and the one successful flat viewing of the week (it was Benji and Mindy and the chihuahua, wasn’t it?).

Today, I’m showing you what I wore on Wednesday — yes, this is April 30, 2014, but let’s be real, I still wear this shit on a regular basis. (Except the jeans, which I only wear if I’m going to be photographed. They’re too thin. Too much like leggings.)

Essentially, I am stalling while I figure out what each main point of our walk was, because quite frankly I’m fuzzy on the details of the whole first bit. Let me just…

Holy god. That was a long-ass walk. I didn’t realize St Paul’s Cathedral was that far out there! Well, we were there to meet Ash, but we missed her, and so I decided I wanted to see the Tate Britain. It’s a thing. I planned my first trip to London — in 2007 — around a Millais exhibition. I’m a walking cliché, but that’s my favorite museum in London, in terms of the art inside. (Favorite building is the Royal Academy; I couldn’t tell you why.)

So I stopped at a Waterstones to use their WiFi on my tablet — I didn’t have a phone plan back then — and figure out how to get there. Or rather, how to get to the river. From there I was pretty confident of my ability to keep walking until I saw Vauxhall Bridge.

And then we walked. For EVER.

It was brilliant, and this is an outfit post and therefore just a taste of the truly outrageous amount of photos I took that day.

Summer Breeze

So I wore a thing. Yay! I wear things every day, obviously, but this time I dragged my mom and sister with me to photograph it. You may see a post about our process on the blog soon — or rather, about the way I mold my process to deal with their impatience, their lack of love for my camera, their lack of love for my modeling, and their general inability to tell when their focal point is a motorbike in the background.

I love them, I do. I love them almost as much as I love sundresses, which is what I’ve been living in since the weather got much too warm to continue wearing jeans. This white dress is from a company called Zaful; I got a couple of other pieces I’m excited to style and shoot as well, but this is by far the most wearable. It needs taking in on the sides; I liked it a lot and really wanted a white sundress, so I went ahead and ordered an M, and my boobs are saying “ha. Ha.”

But it’s super comfortable for everyday wear, and it makes me feel a little bit Marilyn Monroesque, if you’ll forgive the differences. The skirt is massive, and it goes all up when you twirl (you’re welcome, everyone who saw my Catch Me If You Can kitty-with-a-ball-of-yarn panties!) and it’s delicious if you love that shit, which I do. I so do.

Your go-to bra is perfect for everyday outfits, but when it comes to dressing for a special occasion, the average bra and panty set might not be quite up to snuff. As noted by Adam & Eve, the right undergarments can accent your fabulous, and this couldn’t be truer than when it comes to evening gowns and wedding apparel. So whether you have a special occasion looming on the horizon or you’re just looking for the perfect foundation pieces to add to your lingerie collection, keep these helpful tips in mind when shopping for shapewear.

Evening Wear

Office parties, fancy birthday dinners, anniversary celebrations, black tie galas—the list of occasions where you may need to wear a cocktail dress or evening gown is endless. But before you even purchase a gown, you should be thinking about what you’ll be wearing underneath, according to Women’s Health Magazine. For example, if you’re a C cup or larger, you may want to stay away from backless numbers, as backless bras rarely give ample support to bustier ladies. After you’ve found your dress, consider the little things. Rocking a slinky or clingy gown? Opt for seamless panties—and not much else in order to avoid awkward wrinkles and bulges. Have a more tailored, but fitted, dress in mind? Try structured shapewear for a line-free effect.

Wedding

Whether it’s your big day or you’re simply celebrating with the bride and groom, wedding wear requires the right undergarments. Much like with other formal occasions, there are a variety of dress styles—and just as many lingerie options to wear underneath.

For the Bride

When it comes to what to wear beneath your wedding gown, there are a number of factors to consider. Of course, you want something comfortable but pretty, hidden yet flattering. You likely spent hours searching for the perfect dress, but the fact of the matter is your undergarments have a big impact on how your dream gown fits when you walk down the aisle. The last things you want are visible straps, lumps, or lines. When shopping for the perfect wedding day lingerie (wedding night lingerie is a different story, and a different shopping trip altogether), look to the style of your dress first to select the perfect pieces.

Low or No Back

As mentioned before, backless gowns can be tricky for those women who have larger busts. That being said, if you fall in love with the perfect wedding dress and it just so happens to be backless, go for it! Ask your seamstress or the bridal salon handling your alterations to sew in cups or a bustier for hidden support. If you have a smaller cup size, opt for an adhesive bra or cups that offer strapless, backless coverage.

Plunging Neckline

For dresses with a plunging neckline, traditional bras and shapewear are out of the question. A bra or bodysuit with a special cutout in the front to accommodate low necklines is a must in this situation. While a bra in this style will likely have added support built in on the sides, a bodysuit makes sure everything stays put with a one-piece design.

Strapless

One of the most popular styles for brides, strapless gowns offer a variety of necklines, from straight to sweetheart. To keep from tugging on your top all night long, choose a strapless bra that features grips on the sides or a longline bra that has a corset like bodice. As Brides Magazine points out, some gowns, especially those that are particularly structured up top, may give enough support and shape that you can skip a bra altogether. Keep in mind that this can be true of all wedding dresses, not just strapless styles.

Formfitting

Many brides want to look sexy on their big day and opt for a gown that hugs their curves. Mermaids, trumpets, fit and flares, as well as sheath and column dresses all provide that va-va-va-voom effect. But the advantages of these shape-skimming styles are also their downfall. Wearing a formfitting dress often makes it difficult to achieve a seamless silhouette. This is where shapewear comes into play. Smoothing bodysuits and individual foundation pieces such as Spanx help give you added support where it’s most needed. Shapewear ranges from minimal to maximum coverage, so choose the type that matches your comfort level and preference.

While the timeline for buying your foundation pieces is more fluid than many other aspects of wedding planning, make sure to select your undergarments after the initial fitting (to adjust for any alterations that may happen) but before your final fitting appointment. Also, bring them with you in order to get a full visual of the finished look before the big day arrives.

In one of my many contradictions, I hate the summer heat, I refuse to go out in it, it kills my brain cells, but I bloody love wearing summer clothes. They’re so light and comfy and sundresses exist and I love to show off my legs, even though they’re not particularly special, and it’s all just so easy and wonderful.

A while back — a really long while back, for full accuracy, though not as long a while back as another outfit I’ve got scheduled — I met up for coffee with Laila from Tape Parade and Belphoebe from Rags of Love. I suggested slash pressured them to meet in Camden because I could walk there and I’d never really got a good look at it: I’d just seen the main road and was convinced people were making up the charm.

The walk was not quite as pleasant as I’d hoped for, as there was this misting rain coming down, it was quite drearily gray, and I was running late, so I wasn’t exactly stepping around leisurely with my camera as befits a pleasant walk. Also, I got lost. I’d checked the map multiple times beforehand, and walking straight down from Haverstock Hill seemed super boring, so I wanted to postpone the turn onto that road as long as possible, and so headed down Belsize Park Gardens towards “south.” I forgot “south” was Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, not Camden, and so, when I got to King Henry’s Road, I had to turn back and figure out where I was on an offline phone map, and how to go east and actually reach the right road.